Memphis

Memphis Travel Guide

Situated on a high bluff overlooking the muddy Mississippi River, the city of Memphis is well known for its historical and cultural contributions to the American South. The city is the birthplace of blues and played a pivotal role in the history of rock ‘n roll. Prominent locations during the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement help make travel to Memphis a sacred pilgrimage for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. admirers. Known as the birthplace of rock ‘n roll and blues, Memphis is home to Graceland, served as a recording location for artists like Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis; plus, its famous Beale Street was the location of the first blues notes. And don’t forget about the food: Southern plates and barbecue are also not to be missed when you visit Memphis.

Things Not to Miss in Memphis

• Memphis’s iconic Beale Street has music venues, famous soul food diners, and important tributes to the music it helped generate, like W.C. Handy’s historic home.
• Memphis features 11 riverfront parks that offer a great way to see the Mississippi River, including the Mud Island River Park, a one-of-a-kind tribute to the river itself.
• Elvis fans or simple rock ‘n roll lovers will equally enjoy a visit to Graceland, The King’s home.
• The National Civil Rights Museum, located at the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, documents the inspirational and powerful moments of the movement.
• Eat a plate of Memphis-style ribs – wet or dry.

When to Go to Memphis

Because the city has a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons, Memphis travel guides often suggest the best times to visit are in the spring, specifically April and May. The latter month is a great time to enjoy “Memphis in May,” a lively four-week affair that offers a new festival each week, like the Beale Street Music Festival and World Champion Barbecue Cooking Contest. Travelers who want a quieter visit to the city should take advantage of October and November’s comfortable temperatures for Memphis travel. Summer and winter are not as favorable for Memphis travel. The city tends to be uncomfortable from June until September with high humidity and temperatures creeping over 90°F while winter is too chilly for outdoor activities.

Articles about Memphis

Still haven't finished your holiday shopping? Brighten someone's Blue Christmas with a hand-drawn guide to Elvis's hometown. The Memphis Map for Elvis Fans highlights all The King's former haunts in River City, from his childhood home to where he ...

In the rich canon of American regional food, nothing quite compares to barbecue in Memphis. Though ribs are serious business in this town, it’s the pork sandwich that cements a pit master’s reputation. While the flavor and texture of the meat vary...

For spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, and for plenty of other reasons—many of them man-made, thank you very much—the fantasy of a coast-to-coast road trip endures. Want to make it a reality?
From West to East (With Apologies to the Midw...

See our slideshow of America’s Best BBQ Restaurants.
Beyond the shamrock gas station’s pumps and past the racks of Hostess cakes, a warren of tables and booths makes up the Kansas City, Kansas, barbecue joint Oklahoma Joe’s. On a steamy Wednes...

Pop quiz: What’s the second-most visited private residence in America?It’s the Memphis, Tennessee home of The King—i.e. Elvis Presley. (The White House tops the list.) As its 600,000-some visitors each year can attest, something about Graceland’s—...

On the Mississippi River just below Memphis, you can sit on the bank all day and not see a single canoe, or much of anything afloat that isn't a tug or a barge. We read about Huck and Jim, and are fed visions of idyllic riverbank beaches, but the ...

Dodge dim sum. Hold the raves on risotto. Here's the lowdown on Stars and Stripes for the taste buds. Sure, you might have to drive out of the comfort zone, yell your order, or share a table with strangers. It doesn't faze you at all. You crave th...

french
bliss Hotelier Grace Leo-Andrieu, who transformed Paris's Hotel Montalembert
and Le Toiny on St. Barts into stylish enclaves, has once again worked
magic—this time at the Lancaster, a 19th-century town-house hotel near
...